


Love's A Myth

by rinoahyuna



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23839069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinoahyuna/pseuds/rinoahyuna
Summary: AU. Nino works in a bakeshop, pretending he is blind. It's not his fault, and it wasn't intentional, though.
Relationships: Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho, Matsumoto Jun/Ninomiya Kazunari, Matsumoto Jun/Ninomiya Kazunari/Ohno Satoshi, Ninomiya Kazunari/Ohno Satoshi
Comments: 16
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

(Crossposted [HERE](https://rinoahyuna.livejournal.com/17717.html))

Nino arrived at the shop exactly twelve minutes before they officially open, throwing Ohno a distracted peace sign as he slid the backdoor close. He could very well hear Ohno’s chuckles as Nino threw his bag aside and grabbed his apron hanging inside his locker, contemplating leaving his sunglasses there too but thought better of it when he saw the reflection of his eyes on the mirror there.  
  
He sighed. Sho was going to bitch at him again for staying up all night playing games.  
  
“Good morning, Kazu,” Ohno mumbled from the door, and Nino pivoted to greet his boss properly.  
  
“Morning, Oh-chan. Please don’t tell the other boss I just arrived, okay?” he said, inhaling gratefully at the divine scent of freshly baked breads wafting from the direction of the baker’s space. Ohno simply grinned and tilted his head in answer, and Nino spied him balancing two tray-full of bread loaves as he went on his way inside the shop to arrange them on the shelves.  
  
“Sho-chan’s not in yet, is he?” he inquired, cheerily, half-hoping no customers would come in yet so he could have coffee first as he checked the cash register, counting the coins Aiba left there the day before. He eyed Ohno crouched on the floor, arranging the loaves on the lower shelf there.  
  
“Oi, Oh-chan –“  
  
“Not yet,” Ohno said, cutting him off. Nino watched him stood, taking the previous day’s stock of breads with him. “But he did send me a message that he’ll be here later, in time for the delivery of the flour. Aiba-chan is coming with him, since he’s taking over the later shift, too.”  
  
“Crap, he’s going to nag at me again when he sees me,” he groaned, feigning despair. Ohno laughed, loud and carefree that the sight of him made Nino smile despite himself.  
  
“Well, I’d say that the sunglasses won’t make a difference, but, well, suit yourself, I guess,” Ohno told him, waving a hand at him before he went back to check on his breads. Nino would wander in there later, to drink coffee with Ohno and maybe nibble on some leftover bread he’s keeping back there, but for now, Nino focused his attention on wiping the counter clean, wondering if he should start the coffeemaker first before he flip the sign on the door open.  
  
In the end, he had to leave the cleaning for later in favor of starting the coffeemaker first – their customers would want their free coffee together with the breads they’d be buying, after all - before he unlocked the front door and flipped the sign.  
  
  
+  
  
Nino saw him the exact moment he entered the shop, in his baggy clothes and windblown hair that might have been simply out of place if he wasn’t so goddamn good looking. Nino eyed him through his sunglasses, contemplated removing the darn thing when the customer was near enough so Nino could eyeball him properly but realized he could do so better with the glasses, so he left it on.  
  
The man came up to the counter, stood there without saying anything as he looked Nino over with a frown. Nino was certain he was frowning, too.  
  
“Can I take your order, please?” he asked, prompting the good-looking customer; Nino watched, in amusement, when the guy startled, surprised.  
  
“Um, is there anyone else here to help you?” the guy asked, making Nino frown in response. “I mean, to prepare my orders for me?”  
  
“Sorry Sir?”  
  
“Ah, sorry about that, I guess you know where the breads and the pastries are, then? Are you sure you don’t need help?”  
  
Nino was honestly confused. “I’m sorry, Sir, but –“  
  
“I guess you don’t, huh,” the guy said, thoughtful for a moment as he pivoted as if to check the rest of the shop first before he ordered. “Anyway, it’s fine. I’ll just take five of these Melonpan here – ah, wait, I’ll pile them on the counter so you can touch them, then you’ll know how many I’m getting, okay? Hold on, let me just –“  
  
Nino stilled, torn between giggling and throwing said Melonpan to the man’s face, amused and equal-parts entertained when he realized what was happening.  
  
His good-looking customer thought he was blind.  
  
And Nino, being himself, thought it would be nice to play along.  
  
So he did.  
  
(This was where it all started, really.)


	2. Chapter 2

(Also posted [HERE](https://rinoahyuna.livejournal.com/18240.html))

He’d been on morning shift all week. Normally, by the end of it, he was too eager to go back doing night shifts again, but it was different this time around. Nino was seriously having the time of his life, and not even Aiba’s obvious snooping was enough to make him feel otherwise.  
  
He told Ohno as much, and his boss had simply chuckled as if he totally got Nino. Just another thing he liked about Ohno, really.  
  
“He was here again this morning,” he relayed, cheerfully, watching Ohno’s hands working their magic on the flour. It was always an enticing sight, and Nino had to admit that watching Ohno work was a sight to behold, the look of concentration on his face was both amusing and arousing. Nino wouldn’t ever be immune to it, even when he’d admitted to be enjoying looking at someone else, admiring someone else’s face.  
  
“Yeah, I saw him,” Ohno said, “He bought something else this time?”  
  
“Those lemon biscuits,” he answered, eyes tracking the movements of Ohno’s hands. “Five packs of them. He said something about handing them over to some people. Makes you wonder what kind of job he does, right?”  
  
“Hmm.”  
  
“He’s really beautiful, though,” Nino added, like an afterthought, as he sat back comfortably, resting his chin on his palm. Ohno’s upper lip lifted into a smile, and Nino felt like leaning over to kiss him.  
  
“And kind of dumb,” Ohno countered, grinning as if he couldn’t help it. “He still thinks you’re blind, right?”  
  
Nino shrugged, and found himself laughing too. He couldn’t help it; Ohno’s happiness was a wondrous thing, and it was infectious.  
  
“It’s not his fault, Oh-chan,” he said, pulling a face and seriously failing at it because he was still smiling, vaguely remembering the way that pretty customer of his had looked this morning, rocking something as simple as white V-neck shirt and loose black pants like a gorgeous runway model. Nino would be jealous if he hadn’t been eyeballing the man through his sunglasses.“I’m just a really good actor. I could have fooled my own mother with my acting, I swear to you.”  
  
“Well, maybe you can fool them, but not me,” Ohno said, hands pausing from kneading the flour to give Nino a look. “I would know you’ll be staring at my butt through the sunglasses, anyway. Model-san was too dense not to notice that.”  
  
“Model-san?”  
  
“Yeah. You don’t know?”  
  
Nino frowned. “You mean, you do? You know who that pretty customer is?”  
  
Ohno grinned. “Yeah, and apparently, so does Sho-ku. And well, technically, Aiba-chan too,” Ohno said, “Ironically, he didn’t know that the customer you’ve spent the whole week salivating over is the same guy who yelled at him about those cream tarts last week.”  
  
That only served to make Nino’s confusion grow. “I have no idea what you just said, Oh-chan.”  
  
Ohno chuckled, turning his attention back to the flour on the table. “Okay, to make the story short – Aiba-chan told Sho-kun about that guy and apparently, Sho-kun knows the guy. They go way back, as in way back Junior high, and they still keep in touch. So, Sho-kun was the one who told me that guy is a model.”  
  
Nino frowned harder. “Does that mean he was our regular customer here? How come I didn’t see him before?”  
  
Ohno shrugged again. “You always work night shifts. That guy usually strolls in here in the morning.”  
  
“And you’re telling me this just now?” he groaned, feigning exasperation. Ohno simply shrugged again.  
  
“I didn’t realize it until later, when I got to look at him properly,” Ohno said, “God, those eyebrows is one of a kind!”  
  
  
Nino laughed. “You think he’s pretty too, don’t you?”  
  
Ohno shrugged; Nino felt like this was Ohno’s default reaction to anything. It was charming as it was amusing, really.  
  
“I think _you’re_ pretty,” Ohno told him, apropos of nothing, and Nino gaped at Ohno for two whole minutes before he realized he had to do something or else he’d scream, or cry, or both. He jumped from the stool he was sitting on and rounded the way to the baker’s space, feeling as though he might physically combust before he reached Ohno.  
  
When he got there, he didn’t even have to force his way to Ohno’s space; Ohno was already leaning close, mouth parted beautifully that when Nino pressed closer, Ohno’s lips was there to catch his, kissing Nino hard that he had to grip Ohno’s flour-dusted forearms for dear life.


	3. Chapter 3

Model-san came around nine the next morning, this time donning a crisp, obviously tailored three-piece gray suit that made him look enticingly edible so early in the day. Nino was thankful that his sunglasses was dark enough to hide the way he’d openly swooned the moment the man walked in to the door, and stood there in the middle of the shop as if he owned the damn place.  
  
Afterward, he strode very languidly towards the counter, grabbed three packs of mint gums there on display and pushed them forward for Nino to take. Nino almost, almost reached over to scan them the way he normally would but thankfully able to catch himself before he did.  
  
The action obviously went unnoticed, to Nino’s quiet relief.  
  
“G-Good morning,” he greeted, raising his voice a little.  
  
“Hey, it’s me,” Model-san said, clearly trusting Nino would remember. Nino openly offered the other man a smile just for that.  
  
“Oh, I knew it,” he said, tilting his head sideways for effect. Model-san grinned at that, and God, he looked even more arresting up-close, smiling like he was in a damn toothpaste commercial. “No wonder you smell familiar.”  
  
For a moment there, Model-san gaped, abashed, his cheeks tainted with red that made him look young, younger than he probably was. Nino’s fingers itched yet again, and he had to swallow the urge to touch that gorgeous face.  
  
“I didn’t know my perfume would give me away, but thanks, I guess.”  
  
Nino shrugged. “Only because it seriously smells amazing, and expensive, too,” he quickly retorted, which made the other smile just the same. It’s obvious that Model-san liked being complimented, judging with the way that simple come back made him smile, and Nino filed that away for future reference.  
  
“Right.” A quirk of that lovely mouth, and crap, just the sight of it was enough to make Nino’s stomach coil with want.  
  
He forced his eyes away from it and reminded himself to breathe. “So, what would it be for today? Not lemon biscuits or cream tarts, I suppose?”  
  
  
“I have an early meeting this morning, so, I’ll have these for now,” Model-san said, a 5000 Yen bill already in his hand. “I’d grab something else later, before I head home. You’re here until what time again?”  
  
If the situation wasn’t already in that unbelievable level of ridiculous, Nino swore he was being – propositioned? Only, it didn’t seem like it, though a huge part of Nino was telling him that’s exactly what was happening here. If he was a girl, he might even think Model-san was trying his very best to flirt with him, despite the awkwardness, but since he’s a guy… Well, it only made the whole thing rather confusing.  
  
“Until about six pm, Sir.” He answered.  
  
“Ah, I’ll try to come before six, then,” Model-san said, before he was grabbing the packs of mint gums and nudging them to Nino’s hand. “Just these three packs of Clorets for now, yeah. Here’s the money. It’s 5000.”  
  
Nino nodded and mechanically went through the process of scanning the items, still with the help of Model-san, while trying his hardest not to smile. He’d handed over the items and the other man’s change, studiously watching the other man through the dark lenses as he took two steps back, pivoted, then stopped.  
  
“Nino-san, right?”  
  
 _Huh?_ “Eh?”  
  
Model-san pointed at Nino’s chest, particularly at his nametag pinned on his uniform. “Your name.”  
  
Nino was certain he was blushing. He nodded anyway. “Ah, yes. It’s Ninomiya, actually. Nino’s the shortened version. Everyone calls me that, so -”  
  
“Your first name?” Model-san cut in.  
  
Nino chuckled under his breath. “Kazunari, Sir.”  
  
Model-san nodded at that, paused as if he was thinking hard about something and turned to face Nino fully.  
  
“My name’s Matsumoto. Matsumoto Jun. I’d give you a card, but, oh well, it’s not like you have any need for it anyway. Um, I gotta run, Ninomiya-san. I hope to see you again later.” Model-san, Matsumoto Jun, said, before he was once again turning around and walking towards the direction of the door.  
  
Nino supposed he should say something, but he couldn’t. He was too busy biting back a smile to even bother, watching Matsumoto Jun’s retreating back.


	4. Chapter 4

“He thinks you’re what?” Sho screeched, ever the over-acting fool; Nino mentally rolled his eyes, vaguely wondering where Ohno went. He’d probably gone back inside to hide, the jerk, and left Nino to deal with Sho alone.  
  
To be fair, Nino would certainly do the same thing if the situation was reversed.  
  
“You heard me, Sho-chan,” he whined, as he fiddled absently with the calculator, and hoping he looked apologetic enough even though he wasn’t, not really. Maybe, if he tried hard enough, Sho would simply resolved into lecturing Nino about the apparent consequences of lying (which he was well aware of, thank you very much), and he could go back to plan his next move with regards to that pretty customer in peace.  
  
“I’m actually trying to convince myself that I just misheard you,” Sho said, pursing his lips afterward. “Are you saying I didn’t? Jun-kun actually thought you’re blind?” Sho added.  
  
“Yep. Though, I must say it’s not totally his fault,” Nino said.  
  
“Are you saying you pretended to be blind on purpose?” Sho countered.  
  
“No! Why would I even do that?” he asked, feigning incredulous.  
  
Sho’s brows arched in answer. “We both know why,” Sho said, eyeing him warily. “Do I even have to say it?”  
  
Nino narrowed his eyes in counter. “You talked to Oh-chan, didn’t you?”  
  
“No, I didn’t, and I don’t even have to,” Sho said, “As I’m sure he wouldn’t tell me anyway.”  
  
Nino hoped he didn’t look as smug as he felt. “There’s nothing to tell. I swear I was working normally; it wasn’t my fault your friend had mistaken me for a blind person,”  
  
Sho didn’t look so convinced. “But you could have corrected his mistake early on, couldn’t you?”  
  
“Hey, that sounded like an accusation, Sho-chan,” Nino snorted, “Well, okay, so maybe I could have said something when I realized what was happening, but I didn’t. I couldn’t, okay?”  
  
“What do you mean you couldn’t?”  
  
Nino smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t want to upset him. He seemed like the type to get offended when corrected,”  
  
Sho blinked, looking thoughtful. “I’m right, aren’t I?” Nino asked.  
  
“Actually –“ Sho said, but the sound of the door opening promptly cut him off. Their gazes zeroed in on the person entering the shop, and Nino, despite knowing he would no longer escape Sho’s wrath after this, had quickly reached for his sunglasses he’d kept under the counter, hoping Sho wouldn’t notice.  
  
It was Nino’s pretty customer, alright, and he looked even more dashing in the early evening after work as he was in the mornings. He’d gone straight to greet Sho, before he turned to Nino, not quite smiling but it was enough to make Nino’s stomach tie itself in knots at the sight.  
  
In his peripheral, he swore he saw Sho rolled his eyes so hard it made Nino wonder if he was okay. Because Nino was not. Obviously. Matsumoto-san crossed the short distance to the counter, and he was close enough for Nino to smell his perfume, see the little smile forming on his gorgeous lips.  
  
“Hi, Ninomiya-san. It’s me again. Glad I made it in time before you have to leave,”  
  
God, he was so screwed.


	5. Chapter 5

“Can I invite you out for coffee?” Nino was pretty certain he went temporarily deaf when he heard that, would have probably huffed in embarrassment but he had to quickly swallow it down upon seeing the serious look on Matsumoto’s face.  
  
Behind them, Sho looked all ready to intervene, probably to stop Nino, or Matsumoto himself, from making the biggest mistake of their lives by not saying anything, but Nino pointedly ignored him.  
  
It was a bad idea – damn it if he didn’t realize it the moment Matsumoto thought he was blind and he’d decided to play along – but a part of him was invested in this already. Somehow, he’s pretty certain Matsumoto was going to be furious once he found out he was just acting, but if it doing so meant he’d get his hands on Matsumoto’s gorgeous bod, he didn’t mind getting punched in the face for it afterward.  
  
“You’re done for the day, right?” Matsumoto followed, and effectively taking Nino’s attention away from Sho’s flailing behind Matsumoto’s back.  
  
“If it’s already six, then yes,”  
  
Matsumoto checked his wristwatch at that. “It’s actually about seven minutes past six,” he said, then turned to give Sho a glance. “That means he can go, right, Sho-kun?”  
  
“Ah, yes, of course,” Sho said, his expression comical. Nino had to bite his tongue in order to keep his mirth reined in. Funny, because Sho obviously didn’t know what to do either. Obviously, letting his friend in on the secret was out of the question now. Nino would have to be careful.  
  
He took a step back and nodded.  
  
“I’ll go and get my stuff first, Matsumoto-san. Where should I meet you?”  
  
“Out front. My car is parked outside,”  
  
“Okay, then. I’ll see you in a few minutes,”  
  
“Don’t rush, okay? If you need help, I’ll come and collect you myself,”  
  
Matsumoto’s answering smile was so lovely Nino found himself charmed at the sight of it all over again.  
  
He shook his head. “No need. I’ll have either Sho-san or our baker to guide me outside if I need help,”  
  
“Alright, Ninomiya-san.”  
  
  
xx  
  
  
“You’re not going to stop him?” Sho was frantic, staring pointedly at Ohno who was simply grinning and shaking his head as Nino approached him. Nino supposed it should worry him – Ohno’s reaction, or lack thereof about the whole Matsumoto affair, would have been reason enough to make him reconsider his actions, but because it was Ohno, he knew he didn’t have to. In normal circumstances (and relationships), there was a line one shouldn’t ever cross, a boundary one shouldn’t ever consider stepping over, something he did more times he’d already lost count, but only because he had Ohno’s (un) spoken approval.  
  
The freedom to like someone else (and even act on them if he felt like it) was something Ohno had never held against him, or even used against him in times when they both knew he deserved it. Nino knew it couldn’t have been pleasant – hell, the mere thought of knowing Ohno was out screwing someone else, even with him knowing it, was enough to drive him mad with rage.  
  
He was the world’s biggest jerk and boy, didn’t he know it.  
  
“He wouldn’t be able to sleep properly at night if I do that,” Ohno shrugged, and Nino could just kiss him right there. He smiled and crossed the short distance, beckoning Ohno over. Ohno chuckled and stepped forward, let himself be tugged in despite the baker’s counter separating them.  
  
“It’s just coffee for now, so don’t worry, okay? I won’t do anything beyond that without telling you first,” he murmured, mostly into Ohno’s mouth as his fingers caressed Ohno’s nape.  
  
“If you say so,” Ohno agreed.  
  
“You guys are crazy,” Sho commented in disbelief. But Nino was no longer listening; he was pulling Ohno closer for a kiss, hands framing Ohno’s face.  
  
xx  
  
Ohno’s hand was warm, the spot where it was gripping his forearm even more so. He couldn’t see clearly through the (stupid) sunglasses he had on, but he’d spotted Matsumoto right away, standing next to (presumably) his car and looking so goddamn out of place, right there in the front of the bake shop.  
  
“That’s him, right?” Ohno mused, under his breath. Nino just hummed softly in answer. “Wow,”  
  
“I know,” he chuckled, knowing exactly what Ohno meant. “I feel so underdressed, god. Why does he have to look so damn good all the time?”  
  
“He’s fucking perfect,” Ohno countered, “Shit, he has a car?”  
  
That made him giggle. Hopefully, Matsumoto didn’t notice. “Oh-chan, the guy’s rich. Obviously, he should have one. Or five. Man, are you sure I look okay?”  
  
“Nino, you said it’s just coffee. Why do you act like you’re off to wed the man? Get your shit together or I’m seriously dragging your stupid ass back in the shop,”  
  
“Oh, is that jealousy I’m hearing? Do you want to come with? I can ask him, if you want?”  
  
“Shut up or I’m telling your stupid model you’re not blind, and that you’re actually doping him. I’ll do it, I swear,”  
  
“Hmph, not fair. You said I could play with him, what’s your problem now?”  
  
“I don’t like his face. It’s too perfect,”  
  
“You’re just jealous I get to be the first to see it upclose, and maybe get it on with him if I’m lucky. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when he’s warmed up to the idea of dating us both. Then you can have your turn,”  
  
“Shit. I hate it when you make sense,”  
  
“You love me, don’t deny it now,”  
  
“Ah, Ninomiya-san, may I? Here, let me help you. It’s okay –“  
  
“Ohno,”  
  
“Ohno-san, hi. I am Matsumoto. I’ll take it from here, if it’s alright with you?”  
  
“Ah, sure,” Ohno replied, squeezing Nino’s arm before he’d literally handed Nino over to Matsumoto. Nino felt like giggling, felt like turning round to give Ohno a kiss before he leave, but he knew he couldn’t.  
  
“Thank you so much. Here, right this way, Ninomiya-san. Okay, bend down a little so you won’t hit your head. Alright, I’m closing the door,”  
  
Outside, Nino spied Ohno shaking his head and waving his hand at him, mouthing, “Stop smiling, you bastard.”  
  
Nino grinned at him just to be a jerk.


End file.
